Business Plus Baby

As a mother and a businesswoman, we just want to say it now; you rock. Not only are you doing the hardest job any woman could, but you’re also building an enterprise. Most of us struggle to do one, but you’re juggling both like a pro. If anyone has ever deserved a pat on the back, it’s you.

While we’re fully aware that juggling business and baby are never easy, they are usually possible if you’re willing to push yourself when working from home. The chance to stop and start as baby needs you is invaluable. What’s more, your home office doesn’t have a cut-off point. You can keep working until the early hours of the morning, and no one’s there to tell you otherwise.

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But, as your business starts to grow, you may find that it’s harder to juggle motherhood and work. And, no; that’s not just because your to-do list will get longer. More, you’ll find that you can no longer keep things afloat at home alone. As orders pile in and profits soar, you’ll have to employ others, and take your business to a commercial space. And, when that happens, keeping on top of your two responsibilities could get harder. At least, it will unless you consider the following things during your office hunt.

Look for proximity to playschool

Even if your baby isn’t in playschool yet, it’s worth your while to rent office space within walking distance of decent options. While you’re at it, take a look at any schools in the area. This may seem a little far in the future, but the last thing you want to do is establish your company here and then move. Relocation is best avoided at all costs. So, you need to make sure that your office space suits your needs as a mother above all. And, that means being close by your children in case anything should happen. Pick an office in the right spot, and even a sick call at nursery won’t take too large a chunk from your day. As well as being reassuring for your kids, this is one of the best chances you have to manage both your business and motherhood responsibilities. And, that can ensure both aspects of your life keep ticking along nicely. Oh, and the other mothers on your team are sure to appreciate this, too.

Consider whether you could have children onsite

Any mother will tell you that taking the kids to work for the day is NOT the recipe for productivity. But, there may come times when you have no choice. If they’re sick or off playschool for whatever reason, you at least need the option of taking them in with you. Sadly, not all offices out there allow for this option. A unit in a large business block, for instance, is unlikely suitable for screaming babies at any time of day. The other businesses around certainly wouldn’t appreciate your child zipping up and down in the elevator. As such, it’s worth looking out for offices which stand alone from other units. If you can’t find anything suitable, at least look for a first-floor unit which will save those cries ringing out across the floors above and below you. As well as making your life easier, any mothers on your staff are sure to appreciate this effort. If there are a lot of you on board, you could even consider setting up a day-care room for these situations. But, that just won’t be an option if you don’t consider this beforehand.

Image: Kurt_Niemans

Ensure you can work remotely if you need to

If you can’t or simply don’t want to take your kids onsite, you could always put remote plans in place. These will ensure you can stay productive if you’re at home with them. Old filing methods mean you have to be in the office to stand any chance of getting things done. But, by taking your storage to a Cloud computing system, you stand to get tasks done no matter where you are. This could be a real lifesaver for those sick days we spoke about. Not only will your kids get to stay in their own beds during illness, but you won’t have to worry about concentrating with them next to you. Instead, you can sit downstairs in silence, and get on with the work which needs doing. All you’d need is a computer and an internet connection. That’s magic mothers like you could put to good use.

 

 

One of the most daunting tasks of job hunting is also one of the most important tasks any job seeker will have to do. In this day of high-speed internet in our pockets and HD graphics everywhere, the tried-and-true resume is still the most used tool for any job hunter out there. While the methods of delivery may have changed over time, the importance of getting your fine-tuned resume in the right hands is still of the utmost importance.

You Are Never Alone

We’ve all heard it from someone at sometime. The truth is, we are told we’re not alone so many times because we are truly never alone. Even when we are working on that dreaded resume for a new position or job, someone out there has our back.

One important thing to keep in mind throughout your whole job search is that those in charge of hiring are generally busy people with limited time and resources to find the right person. A resume template is the best way to give the person in charge all of the information they will need in an organized manner. Don’t try to reinvent the resume with a crazy design and layout, just keep things simple with a well-designed resume template. Let’s go over some tips as an introduction to creating a resume with a template to help you land that next job.

Keep It Simple, Seeker

Again, hiring managers and others in charge of hiring are busy people with limited time to weed out the good from the mounds of bad they receive all day. Keep this in mind as you write up sections and carefully choose wording to get to the point without losing effect. The key to remember here is that a resume should not be more than one page long.

Job descriptions are another place where resume writers can get a bit wordy. Instead of stretching out a job description to make it seem more important, use more action words to get a stronger effect. Thankfully, there are great action word lists out there that can help you find just the right words to make each description sound fresh and exciting.

Simple Does Not Mean Boring

While you need to keep things succinct on your resume, you also need to keep things engaging and stand out from the possibly hundreds of other resumes sitting in the same pile. This is where you can show off your creativity a little bit. The use of verbs will help keep the reader engaged, but a little flair can help you stand out. Many resume templates allow for a little splash of color in their design. This can be subtle yet effective. Another idea is to incorporate some of you into your resume. Editors and proofreaders can include sections corrected in red to lighten the mood, or include a short list of desired traits but relate them to something entirely different than the job.

When you’re creating your first resume, things can seem scary. Remember, using a resume template makes things much easier and gives you an organized way to present yourself to future employers. You got this, now go get it.

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Every successful business starts with a great idea. However, if it is not supported by a sound financial foundation and a business plan, it cannot succeed. While you might hope for the best, and think that eventually you will see a return on investment, you can do better than that. Financial planning is a great skill and can help you grow your venture faster, find your mission and goal, and keep your business secure in the uncertain operating environments. If you would like to find out more about the benefits of getting your finances right, read on.

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Clarity

If you keep your finances in order, you will always see your situation clearly. Clarity is important in business, and you should be able to generate up to date reports at any time so you can make better decisions. If you can save up for the equipment, you can beat the competition through research and development, as well as productivity. Apart from having a clear vision, you will also have to have a yearly and quarterly target and profit prediction, so you can plan further ahead.

Security

If your business accounts are in order, your business will be more secure. Whenever you get an audit, all your practices and accounting methods will be under a microscope. You must produce every document years back, and if you cannot do this, you will be fined. You should get a professional accountant for your business from day one, so you can protect your money and your reputation. Check out the recommendations of Business Accountant, George Kontominas and find out more about how to keep your business profitable through advanced accounting methods.  

Growth Potential

You don’t only have to protect your profits, but also secure your future and your sustainability. Without being able to plan ahead, you cannot create a growth strategy and your business will either stagnate or get left behind by the competition. To make the most out of your growth potential, you have to learn how to reinvest your profits in your business and allocate funds for product development, marketing, and research.

Long Term Planning

Most business owners believe that living from one day to the next is still a feasible way of running a venture. However, you will need a long term strategy that looks ahead and takes into consideration the current and future trends. Without looking into the future and checking out how customer behavior and technologies will change, you will be stuck in the past, and will have no chance to grow further. Whether it is expansion or acquisition you are planning, you must create a detailed strategy.

Lower Taxes

Having an accountant and keeping your books in good order doesn’t only take the weight off your shoulders, but also can save you money and reduce your taxes. As a business owner, you might not be able to keep on top of the latest regulations or know about the new ways of taking advantage of research and development tax rebates. You might be able to save thousands per year and have more funds to invest in your business, so you can create new offers and meet the needs of your market.  

Avoiding Penalties

You don’t want to be fined because you are missing a financial report or made a mistake somewhere down the line and cannot find it. That is why you need to outsource your accounting and bookkeeping. If you get a penalty, you will not only be issued a fine, but also damage your business reputation, which is very hard to repair. You can lose more than money; your customers will leave you if they don’t think your business is in good hands.

Better Project Management

You cannot start a new project without a solid financial plan. Whenever you want to enter new markets, create a new marketing strategy, or employ more people to increase your productivity, your plans have to be backed up by numbers. There is a financial side of every development project, and if you miss it out, you are less likely to succeed.

Having a solid financial foundation for your business is just as important as creating a sustainability plan or brainstorming growth ideas. If you neglect accounting, you will not be able to fund your projects and might end up getting your business into debt it cannot recover from. Keep an eye on the accounting and tax regulations in your industry, and always make sure that you are prepared for emergencies.

Charity is an undeniably important aspect of life. Whether it provides a meal for a hungry family, allows a homeless person to sleep in a warm bed for a night or sends life-saving aid to people living in poverty across the world, the benefits and rewards that charity can bring really are endless.

However, it can be incredibly easy to get caught up in the trappings of everyday life. In today’s fast-paced, online environment, everything is expected instantly and as a result, constant communication, an inability to fully switch off and a lack of free time are becoming more and more commonplace.

Sadly, this shift towards the digital age leaves us with precious little time to ourselves. In this diminished personal time, we must curate our hobbies, exercise or go to the gym, spend time with our family and friends and, somehow, find time to relax and destress. Although schedules, routines and prioritising can help, is it really any wonder why so many of us struggle to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning?

We all know and understand the importance of charity, but it can be incredibly difficult to find the time to discover the benefits it can bring to our own lives. Performing acts of kindness and generosity have the ability to enrich our lives and help us feel good about ourselves; just think, after a long, tiring day, seeing a smile light up someone’s face after you’ve helped brighten their day will instantly make things seem worthwhile.

So, if you do want to increase your interaction with charity but struggle to find the spare time to commit to length fundraising processes or high donation targets, here are a few tips, tricks and ideas to help you maximise the time you have available for charity.

Start Small

Even just offering a friendly smile and a listening ear can go a long way towards helping someone in need of comfort – charity doesn’t have to mean grandiose gestures and expensive donations. Offer to pick up some groceries for your neighbour the next time you go shopping, then drop your spare change into a charity collection tin on your way out of the shop. This way, you are helping multiple people without even going out of your way at all!

Choose Wisely

It may sound harsh but trying to support a cause that you are not passionate about is probably just going to be a waste of time. When you have limited time and resources available, try to focus on charities and organisations that mean a lot to you on a personal level – this way, you will automatically be more motivated to help them succeed. If you aren’t sure who to support, consider doing a little research and finding out about current disasters and emergencies going on across the world. For instance, you can visit this site to find more information on how you can help the vulnerable Rohingya people in Burma.

Get Involved

The more people that you can convince to get involved, the quicker and easier your charitable endeavours will become. Whether it’s family, friends or people in your local community, asking the people close to you to help out will make things much more fun. After all, if you can combine enjoyment with charity, everyone will be winning!

At the end of the day, it is essential that you feel confident and comfortable with the amount of time, money and effort you are expending on behalf of your chosen charity. You should never feel obliged to donate above your means or spend time volunteering instead of seeing your loved ones or looking after your own health and well-being, which is why it is important to work to find that happy medium between generosity and your own welfare.

Even the smallest acts of kindness and generosity truly do have the ability to reach and enrich many people’s lives, so don’t feel pressured into taking on more than you can manage. With the right mindset, you will be amazed at what you are able to achieve!

If you’ve been tasked with organising a business event, there’s a surprising amount to consider. Gone are the days when you could assume a standard boardroom with a large table and plenty of chairs was all that was needed. Now your business meeting could include a retreat, an outdoor active team-building activity, all kinds of training as well as… you guessed it… the traditional meeting in a boardroom!

First, decide on your budget. There are so many options available that it will save you time to eliminate those venues that are beyond your budget early on. That said, some venues are open to negotiation on price, so it’s worth calling to see if they can offer you a discount. While it’s important to say within budget, be cautious about venues that are well under budget as they may not give the best impression to your delegates.

Once you have your budget, consider the content of the meeting itself. What will the participants be doing at the event? This is followed closely by ‘how many participants are there?’ With this information you’ll be able to decide how many rooms are needed, the size of the rooms and the facilities available, for example will you need a projector and screen, flip chart, outdoor space, breakout rooms for group work? It can be helpful to check with the speakers, trainers or presenters at this stage to make sure you know exactly what they need to lead the event. Obviously, you need a venue with enough space for all the delegates but be cautious about choosing a venue which is too big as this can give the impression that many of the delegates failed to show up!

Now you know the features the venue needs to have, consider the location. Does it need to offer peace and quiet away from the city? Or does it need to be in a city centre so it can be accessible for people travelling long distances and staying in city hotels? If many delegates are staying overnight, look at business meeting venues with accommodation. This reduces travelling time for the delegates, decreases the chance of delays starting the meeting due to traffic and encourages networking over meals and in the evenings. Alternatively, if it’s a short meeting where delegates are travelling on the same day, it may be more important to pick a location which is easily accessible by road and rail.

Try to match the style of the venue to the purpose of the meeting. A peaceful location in the country may be a good fit for a business retreat, whereas a more standard business conference may be better suited to a city hotel with conference facilities. Take a look at Partyhouses.co.uk  for inspiration. A short, relaxed meeting could even take place in a café.

Don’t forget to consider the refreshments available – will you need a sit-down meal, buffet, snacks? Are their options such as vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free? It’s also important to consider the accessibility of the venue. Often people consider accessibility to mean ramps for wheelchairs, but there are many other ways of making an event accessible including making sure lifts are working, that there is accessible parking close by and there are facilities such as induction loops in meeting rooms.

Good luck and I hope you find the perfect venue for your event!